The return of Section 28: Schools and academies are practising homophobic policy outlawed by Tony Blair’s government
The return of Section 28: Schools and academies are practising homophobic policy outlawed by Tony Blair’s government, I am not sure if the behaviour highlighted here is more or less prevalent in rural authorities. This article does however provide much food for thought. “Ministers, Opposition MPs and gay rights activists united to express anger and alarm over the disclosure that academies across the country had adopted policy statements that echoed the notorious Section 28 brought in by Margaret Thatcher 25 years ago. The legislation, which was overturned by the Blair government, banned teachers in lessons from “intentionally promoting” homosexuality, a form of words that critics denounced for discriminating against gay pupilss. Campaigners have identified more than 40 schools across the country that stress in their sex-education guidelines that governors will not allow teachers to “promote” homosexuality, or are ambiguous on the issue. The presence of many academies in the list will be an embarrassment to Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, who has championed them as a way of driving up standards. A spokesman for the Department for Education (DfE) said tonight: “What these schools have done by singling out homosexuality is unacceptable.” A source in the department said ministers were “concerned” by the revelations and had instructed officials to launch an immediate investigation. Many of the schools have adopted a wording for sex and relationship education policy guidelines suggested by independent companies which advise on the switch to academy status, The Independent understands.”